...Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - A Leadership Icon Annise Hawkins Strayer University PAD 515 Dr. Lisa Saye July 30, 2011 What comes to mind when you hear the terms courage, leadership courage, moral leadership and servant leadership? Do you think of an influential person (s) you know? Or do you think in terms of qualities that leaders need to possess in order to be effective? In order to answer those questions, one must understand the definitions of those terms. Courage is “the ability to step forward through fear. Courage doesn’t mean the absence of doubt or fear, but the ability to act in spite of them” (DAFT 2011, p. 181). Leadership courage requires a leader to “reach deep within themselves to find the strength and courage to resist temptations or to stand up for moral principles when others may ridicule them or when they may suffer financially or emotionally for their actions” (DAFT 2011, p. 180. Moral courage is about “distinguishing right from wrong and doing right, seeking the just, the honest, the good, and the right conduct in achieving goals and fulfilling purpose” (DAFT 2011, p. 172). Finally, servant leadership is when “leaders give up control and make a choice to serve employees” (DAFT 2011, p. 175). When I think of these terms, I immediately think of a prominent leader who possessed all these qualities, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was truly a leader in his time. According to Webster’s Dictionary, a leader is “one...
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...Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that one day we would live in a world free of prejudice, while we have certainly come a long way from 1963 there is still work to be done. Bigotry and prejudice did not simply die in the summer of 1964 with the passage of the Civil Rights Act. The wounds that were left by racial segregation, religious prejudice, and homophobia left on this country are still visible and it will be a long time before they fade completely. However, unlike most wounds, these simply won’t heal with time alone, we, the future leaders of America must work hard to heal these scars. We must stand in solidarity with our melanin kissed brothers and sisters, with those who identify with a culture that the majority has tried...
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...Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Letter from Birmingham Jail It is necessary for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to make the distinction between just and unjust laws to justify their actions of civil disobedience at the time. King describes to the clergymen that there are two types of laws; those that are just and those that are unjust. Dr. King begins by stating that he does not advocate the disobedience of just laws simply because “One has not only a legal but moral responsibility to obey just laws,” meaning that when a citizen knows that a law is in effect, they have to either follow it or face the punishments that come with breaking the law. Martin Luther King describes a just law as “a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of...
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...Dr. Martin Luther King was an African American civil rights leader who was responsible for pushing for equal rights and equal justice. King wrote and presented many great speeches on the plight of the poor and disenfranchised black Americans. His speeches influenced many young and old black and white citizens across the United States to band together to change the segregation laws across the South. His oratory style of speaking blended southern black preaching with the truth and the writings of our founding fathers that led to the changing of millions of Americans minds. To this day Dr. King is considered to be one of history’s greatest and most influential speakers. Dr. King was invited to speak at events unaffiliated with his passion for the Civil Rights Movement, my essay compares and contrast what many consider his greatest speech entitled “I Have A Dream” with “On the Importance of Jazz”. August of 1963, Dr. King gave a speech called “I Have A Dream”, which was very powerful and influential. King claims, “now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children." (King). However, King hopes to keep equality through this nonviolent movement. He orders his fellow Negros to not have...
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...Doctor Martin Luther King Junior captured the entire crowd's attention with his strong and influential message. All of the crowd was cheering during the whole speech. The crowd got even louder when he quoted the message he was putting out there. Having an excellent message for what is being said is always a wonderful way to catch consideration. The audience will not dismiss a speech with an important message. The crowd stayed the entire speech. They reacted to everything Dr. King said. If the audience does decide to stay that means it has a good meaning. It also means it has a meaningful and important message. The crowd joined him to deliver the same message as him and they decided on him to speak for them. They chose him because...
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...Between the years of 1950 and 1960, there was a discrimination upon race amidst White and African American people. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. decided to begin a protest against it in which he believed the treatment was unfair and "injustice" however, he went to jail for doing so and the Alabama Clergymen wrote him a letter to call it off, Dr. King responded. In the response letter by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the iconic civil rights leader seeks to utilize emotional, logical, as well as ethical appeals to defends the nonviolent resistance effort. Emotional appeal, a method used to persuade an individual or group by trying to generate an emotional response. Dr. King uses this appeal in order to convince the eight Alabama Clergymen of how the protest he held against racism is not something he is going to stop as well as that they should agree with the movement. In trying to persuade the Alabama Clergymen Dr. King mentions how an abundance of African American mothers and fathers have to answer questions that their children ask regarding the difference in treatment between Caucasians and African Americans. For example, in the letter one of the questions that were used to attempt to make the clergymen feel...
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...INTRODUCTION One must overcome several obstacles in accomplishing a brave or courageous act. There are many people around the world that have displayed courage in different ways. People such as Galileo and Helen Keller were courageous and brave in attempting and succeeding in changing the way people thought. Other iconic figures including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela displayed courage in their heroic acts by risking their lives to bring groups of people out of struggle. There is not just a specific category of courage; there are several intellectual ways that humans can display courage. In society, courage and bravery can be seen in the smallest of actions. It takes courage to do something minor such as speaking up for someone...
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...with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s thesis statement and his supporting ideas. Summary: In his speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivers a powerful message on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963. I have a dream is a speech in which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. cultivates the powerful force of peace in people to act out in love towards racism. He is trying to reach the good in people and believes that love will be more effective than hate. TS: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. effectively conveys his message of equality and non-violence by making an emotional appeal to Americans. EM: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s speech brought change to America, Americans were unified, and caused people to view others differently. I. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s speech brought change to America. A. People were moved by his emotions. B. It inspired equality in Americans. C. America yielded to peace. II. Americans were unified. B. Racism was reduced. C. Peace prevailed over violence. III. Caused people to view others differently. A. People changed their perspective. B. Race became less significant C. Humanity was changed by love. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Speech I have a dream I have a dream speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is recognized as one of the greatest speeches ever presented. Over 50 years ago, in August of 1963, Dr. King captivated America with his significant I have a dream speech powerfully given on the steps of the Lincoln memorial. What was Dr. King’s...
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...Civil disobedience is the act of refusal against laws, taxes, or demands by a government usually staying peaceful in nature. Martin Luther King Jr. and Antigone implement civil disobedience to defy unjust law; however, both approaches used to go against the wrong laws are different. Martin Luther King Jr. became the leader for the civil rights movement to put an end to segregation through civil disobedience by stressing the importance of peacefully protesting; while Antigone purposely went against the law, knowing the consequences, to follow God’s law instead of man-made law in a holy effort to bury her late brother Polyneices. Martin Luther King Jr. goes against unjust laws through civil disobedience by initiating peaceful protests. He believed that using nonviolent tactics are better at showing the immorality the unjust laws’ and calls for black people to fight the long battle against segregation. In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, he reveals the unjust treatment going on in Birmingham and why it is important for him to be there helping, “Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already...
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...Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination | History class Fall semester Nov. 22/ 2011 | Susan Kennedy | The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968 was a tragic blow, not only for the civil rights movement but also for the rights movement of all lower class citizens in America. Dr. King represented one of the few voices in 1968 able to form any type of consensus among increase-polarized groups in society. His death inaugurated a period of some of the worst race riots in American history. However, his death did not signal a end to the Civil Rights Movement. The movement had been splitting into factions for several years before he was assassinated. Dr. King’s death did accelerate the polarization of American society. The Black power became the leading force behind the transforming Civil Right Movement. However, to a far greater degree, King’s death signaled an alienation among white supporters of the movement who saw in King their opportunity to participate in the movement, while opposed to the movement hardened their stance in the face of the emerging drive for black self-determination. Robbed of the man who galvanized their community, outraged African Americans took to the streets to protest. Furor erupted among blacks in many cities as angry African Americans refused to heed the President\’s call for calm. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a vital figure of the modern era. His lectures and dialogues stirred the concern and sparked...
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...Courage and Moral Leadership Olivier Faye Dr. Mark Pantaleo PAD 515 Sunday, February 5, 2012 What comes to mind when you hear the word leader? Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, John F. Kennedy? According to Webster’s Dictionary, a leader is one who leads. As a leader, you can put ethical values into action and set the example you want followers to live by. You can resist pressures to act unethically just to avoid criticism or achieve short term gains. (Daft, page 167). Leadership is not merely a set of practice with no association with right or wrong. All leadership practice can be used for good or evil and thus have a moral dimension. Leaders choose whether to act form selfishness and greed to diminish others or to behave in ways that serve others and motivate people to expand their potential and as a human being. Moral leadership is about distinguishing right from wrong and doing right, seeking the just, the honest, the good and the right conduct to achieve goals and fulfilling purpose There are a select few individuals who have come variously to be called great or brilliant because they and their accomplishments have forever changed society and the world. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was on those individual. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., (January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968) would have been 83 on Jan. 15, 2012. Unfortunately his birthday has been turned into a three-day weekend by being recognized as a federal holiday observed on the third Monday of January each year...
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...Martin Luther King Jr was born on January 15, 1929 in his small home in Atlanta Georgia. His father, Reverend Martin Luther King, was often referred to as Daddy King. His mothers name was Alberta Williams King. He was a middle child; he had an older sister, Willie Christine King and a younger brother Alfred Danial Williams King. His father was born “Michael King” and Martin Luther King, Jr. was originally named “Michael King, Jr.” After his father traveled to Europe in 1934 and visited Germany, he decided to change both of their names in honor of the German Protestant leader Martin Luther. Growing up Martin Luther King, Jr ran with a small group of boys, they often would run after girls. His behavior was typical of any other adolescent boy. He was a person just like you and me. When he was younger, he sang with his church choir at the premiere of the movie Gone with the Wind. An interesting fact is that Martin Luther King, Jr. and his siblings spent a great deal of time with their grandparents. They all lived together, just as I live with my grandparents. His sister Christine King Farris was born on September 11, 1927. She married Issac Newton Farris who recently died. They had two children. She currently teaches at Spelman College and is the author of several books and is a renowned public speaker on various topics, including the King family, multicultural education and teaching. For many years, she served as the Vice Chair and Treasurer of the King Center...
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...remember when Dr. Martin Luther King jr. is brought to mind? His famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech? His impact on American history? The civil rights movement that lead to the equality of white and colored people? Those are only a few of many things Dr. Martin Luther King jr. has done within the short time span of his lifetime. A few more things he had a set attitude on are the working conditions for the sanitation workers, how the direction of the civil rights movement has changed because of the events he made possible and most importantly, the achievement of equality for everyone. To begin with, In Dr. Martin Luther King’s ‘I’ve Been to The Mountaintop’ speech states that the city of Memphis was mistreating and neglecting the sanitation workers that worked for them. The riot that was lead by 1,300 sanitation workers was neglected and the only thing that was shown in the spotlight of the press is the breaking of windows. In Martin Luther King’s speech ‘I've Been to The Mountaintop’ he states “They [the reporters] don't get around to that.” He stated this shortly after explaining how the riot only was publicized by the violent manner of breaking windows. The press never did explain how the...
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...GKE1 Task 2 Miranda Stewart Western Governors University A) Martin Luther was born in Eisleben, Saxony, now Germany, in 1483 and died in 1546. (Martin Luther and the 95 Theses. 2013) During his 63 years of life he set in motion many changes that would take place in the world. His two most significant changes were his key role in the Protestant Revolution and the translation of the Bible into German, which later was translated into English, thus making it available for all to read. Luther was originally attending school at the University of Erfurt and training to become a lawyer when he was caught in a severe thunderstorm and, after nearly being struck by lightning, pledged that he would become a monk if he survived. Survive he did so he quit the study of law and entered an Augustinian monastery. While he stopped studying law he did not stop studying. His desire to study and learn led him to become a professor of the Bible and was eventually led to new understandings of the Catholic religion and the Bible. (Martin Luther and the 95 Theses. 2013) Luther penned his “95 Theses” in 1517 and nailed it to the door of the church that he was currently teaching at. While legend has made it something of a dramatic act of defiance, pinned to the door on a stormy night, it is much more likely that he was straightforwardly announcing his academic discussion that he was opening up. (Martin Luther and the 95 Theses. 2013) This posting, however he was intending it, hit too close...
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...Dr. Martin Luther King’s Funeral and Assassination Word spread like wildfire when the news of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination hit the public. As the leading civil rights activist in the 1960s, Martin Luther King Jr. preached words of peace and understanding among races. A well known name throughout the North and South, King gained extreme popularity within the African American community. When Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated a wave of sorrow spread across the nation. With rage, sadness, and hopelessness in the public eye, clearly the assassination hurt more than just one man, it hurt a nation. A single shot killed 39-year-old Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. At the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, a sniper from about “50-100 yards away,” shot and struck Dr. King’s neck, while instantaneously killing him (“Martin Luther King Slain” 139). From the crime scene, F.B.I. investigators traced a “white Mustang automobile,” and an “‘unusually large’ amount of physical evidence” (Waldron 1). With fingerprints, the actual rifle, and eyewitnesses as definite pieces of evidence, F.B.I. agents concluded that a Caucasian man executed the assassination and that he would be very easily caught (Waldron 1). Eyewitness testimony even stated that the “saw a white man [ran] from the house immediately after the shooting” (“Martin Luther King Slain” 140). As a shocking and horrific event, the assassination of Dr. King proved to test the nation’s character. Shortly...
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